Hypothetical Question: Kennedy Vs Regan

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gibby08's avatar

gibby08

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Jul 21, 2010 11:56 PM
Was reading a book about that '80 election and thought about this:

Would Teddy Kennedy have stood a chance of beating Ronald Regan??

I don't think he would have quite made up the difference,but it would have been really really close IMO
Jul 21, 2010 11:56pm
gibby08's avatar

gibby08

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Jul 22, 2010 8:05 PM
ttt
Jul 22, 2010 8:05pm
M

Manhattan Buckeye

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Jul 22, 2010 8:35 PM
Reagan?

I'm not a spelling nazi, but twice?
Jul 22, 2010 8:35pm
majorspark's avatar

majorspark

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Jul 22, 2010 8:56 PM
Teddy left a young girl to drown while he set out to save his drunken ass. His killing of Mary Jo Kopechne ended all hopes for him ever attainng the presidency.

Even had that event had not occurred Reagan would have cleaned his clock in any debate.
Jul 22, 2010 8:56pm
CenterBHSFan's avatar

CenterBHSFan

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Jul 22, 2010 9:12 PM
I remember reading an article (can't think which magazine/internet source, sorry) that talked about Teddy contemplating running for the Presidency at one time. He couldn't get enough people to back him financially or publicly, specifically due to the Mary Jo Kopechne crimes, if I remember the article correctly.

At any rate, Ted Kennedy wouldn't have come close, IMO. Of course, that's my conjecture about the question simply because I wasn't living/experiencing the Kennedy era aka Camelot.
Jul 22, 2010 9:12pm
gibby08's avatar

gibby08

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Jul 22, 2010 9:14 PM
Did she shoot her?? Did he stab her?? Did he strangle her??

No he didn't...so while what he did was wrong...by the legal definition he did not KILL her
Jul 22, 2010 9:14pm
I

isadore

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Jul 22, 2010 9:15 PM
if no chappaquidick, not Kennedy v Reagan
but Kennedy v Nixon II
Jul 22, 2010 9:15pm
I

isadore

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Jul 22, 2010 9:18 PM
gibby08;430302 wrote:Did she shoot her?? Did he stab her?? Did he strangle her??

No he didn't...so while what he did was wrong...by the legal definition he did not KILL her

he killed her, he did not murder her
Jul 22, 2010 9:18pm
CenterBHSFan's avatar

CenterBHSFan

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Jul 22, 2010 9:19 PM
gibby08;430302 wrote:Did she shoot her?? Did he stab her?? Did he strangle her??

No he didn't...so while what he did was wrong...by the legal definition he did not KILL her

There was no "legal definition" because that case had money and connections aaaallllllllllllll over it.
Period.

If I took a baby out in the middle of my woods in January, and somehow lost track of him/her. Went home and didn't call anybody until basically the next day, my ass would have been in trouble BIG time.
Jul 22, 2010 9:19pm
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Bio-Hazzzzard

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Jul 22, 2010 9:19 PM
gibby08;430302 wrote:Did she shoot her?? KILL her
You forgot to edit this too.
Jul 22, 2010 9:19pm
gibby08's avatar

gibby08

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Jul 22, 2010 9:22 PM
Bio-Hazzzzard;430310 wrote:You forgot to edit this too.

You still doing that immature shit?
Jul 22, 2010 9:22pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

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Jul 22, 2010 9:23 PM
Ted Kennedy killed someone

just like Laura Bush killed someone in a car accident

just like my neighbor killed someone in a car accident
Jul 22, 2010 9:23pm
HitsRus's avatar

HitsRus

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Jul 22, 2010 10:26 PM
^^^mmmmm maybe not quite the same.


I don't think Teddy was the dynamic individual that his brothers were.
Jul 22, 2010 10:26pm
Writerbuckeye's avatar

Writerbuckeye

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Jul 22, 2010 11:51 PM
To answer your question: no. He wouldn't have won. His killing of Mary Jo saw to that. Hopefully, Teddy is roasting marshmellows in hell while Mary Jo is watching on a monitor someplace MUCH higher up, having a good laugh.
Jul 22, 2010 11:51pm
S

sjmvsfscs08

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Jul 23, 2010 12:13 AM
The question is would we even be talking about John, Bobby, or Ted, if Joseph Kennedy didn't die in World War II?
Jul 23, 2010 12:13am
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majorspark

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Jul 23, 2010 12:33 AM
sjmvsfscs08;430463 wrote:The question is would we even be talking about John, Bobby, or Ted, if Joseph Kennedy didn't die in World War II?

Great point and a true American hero. Although he belonged to a family of great privilege and wealth, though he completed his 25 combat missions and was eligible to return home at the time, he chose to engage in an extremely dangerous mission in service to his nation that gave his family the opportunity to accumulate their wealth. I believe he understood that. He risked all that the blessings of his fortune in life gave him for his country and it cost him his life. Hats off and a big solute to this great American.
Jul 23, 2010 12:33am
C

cbus4life

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Jul 23, 2010 1:06 AM
Every single time Gibby makes a post, i wish that he didn't identify himself with the same side of the political spectrum that i do.
Jul 23, 2010 1:06am
F

Footwedge

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Jul 23, 2010 1:22 AM
I think RFK and JFK were much, much smarter than Ted. I don't think Ted even sniffs the white house even if the MJK thing never happened. Plus, I doubt if he would have ever run...too liberal and he was probably a little gun shy, literally, after what he saw happen to his bros.
Jul 23, 2010 1:22am
majorspark's avatar

majorspark

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Jul 23, 2010 1:56 AM
LJ;430315 wrote:Ted Kennedy killed someone

just like Laura Bush killed someone in a car accident

just like my neighbor killed someone in a car accident

Yes they all killed someone. I am guessing you are generalizing in order to prove the point that the term kill is a valid definition of the Chappaquiddick incident. Maybe you can clarify.

Using the term" just like" in detail would not apply to Laura Bush. She had not been drinking. She did not flee the seen and disregard any chance of saving the victim in order to protect her personal future aspirations. I think that is what Hits point is.
Jul 23, 2010 1:56am
believer's avatar

believer

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Jul 23, 2010 5:39 AM
gibby08;429591 wrote:Would Teddy Kennedy have stood a chance of beating Ronald Reagan??
Ted Kennedy wouldn't have stood a chance.

First, the country was in a definite conservative mood in the 80's and Teddy Hic Kennedy was the antithesis of conservatism.

Second, Kennedy screwed up big time with the Chappaquiddick "incident." The Kennedy fortune may have bought Teddy's way out of prison time, it could not buy public opinion. He wasn't guilty of murder but he certainly should have seen jail time for involuntary manslaughter.

Kennedy's ultra-liberalism, the Chappaquiddick debacle, his acute alcoholism, and the probability that Reagan would have cleaned his clock in head-to-head debates all spelled doom for Teddy Boy.
Jul 23, 2010 5:39am
LJ's avatar

LJ

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Jul 23, 2010 7:21 AM
majorspark;430525 wrote:Yes they all killed someone. I am guessing you are generalizing in order to prove the point that the term kill is a valid definition of the Chappaquiddick incident. Maybe you can clarify.

Using the term" just like" in detail would not apply to Laura Bush. She had not been drinking. She did not flee the seen and disregard any chance of saving the victim in order to protect her personal future aspirations. I think that is what Hits point is.
All 3 were car accidents, in all three the person listed caused a death. while none of the incidents are exactly alike, they are good comparisons.
Jul 23, 2010 7:21am
HitsRus's avatar

HitsRus

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Jul 23, 2010 7:45 AM
All 3 were car accidents, in all three the person listed caused a death. while none of the incidents are exactly alike, they are good comparisons.
...and that is where the similarities end (albeit not knowing anything about your neighbor's accident). There are 'accidents' and then there is gross negligence. Also how one conducts themselves after an 'accident' is a mirror of one's character. Would you actually want someone who behaved like that as POTUS?

I think the more important question is not whether Ted Kennedy could have beaten Reagan, but whether Teddy would have even HAD a political career after MJK, if he'd been anybody else, but a Kennedy.

I think not.
Jul 23, 2010 7:45am
gibby08's avatar

gibby08

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Jul 23, 2010 10:21 AM
Writerbuckeye;430449 wrote:To answer your question: no. He wouldn't have won. His killing of Mary Jo saw to that. Hopefully, Teddy is roasting marshmellows in hell while Mary Jo is watching on a monitor someplace MUCH higher up, having a good laugh.

He didn't "kill" her. Did he do anything to save her...no,but he did not "kill" her
Jul 23, 2010 10:21am
Writerbuckeye's avatar

Writerbuckeye

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Jul 23, 2010 10:34 AM
gibby08;430649 wrote:He didn't "kill" her. Did he do anything to save her...no,but he did not "kill" her

He left her to die -- same difference. It may get you differing jail sentences, but the end result is the same: that person is still dead.
Jul 23, 2010 10:34am
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Al Bundy

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Jul 23, 2010 10:37 AM
gibby08;430649 wrote:He didn't "kill" her. Did he do anything to save her...no,but he did not "kill" her

He didn't murder her, but he did kill her.
Jul 23, 2010 10:37am